The aviation industry's most comprehensive connectivity analysis, OAG's Megahubs 2025 report, marks its tenth anniversary with significant insights into global air travel patterns. The study evaluates airports based on scheduled international flight connections relative to the number of destinations served.
Heathrow Maintains Global Dominance
London Heathrow (LHR) retains its position as the world's best-connected airport for the third consecutive year. On its busiest day, LHR offered over 59,000 possible connections to 226 destinations. Notably, Heathrow was the only top-ten airport to maintain its exact ranking from 2024.
Notable Ranking Changes
The report reveals dynamic shifts among global aviation hubs:
- Istanbul Airport (IST) made the most significant leap, climbing from 8th to 2nd position with a 25% year-over-year increase in potential connections.
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) advanced from 4th to 3rd place.
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Frankfurt (FRA) tied for 4th, with FRA making a remarkable jump from 10th position in 2024.
- Tokyo Haneda (HND) fell from 3rd to 9th place, reflecting a 10% decrease in connections.
- Atlanta (ATL) re-entered the top ten, moving from 11th to 8th place with 14% more connections.
- Chicago O'Hare (ORD) rose two positions to 7th, benefiting from a 17% connection growth and 15 new destinations.
Low-Cost Carrier Hubs Reshape Connectivity
The report highlights the growing influence of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in global connectivity:
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) remains the top LCC hub globally.
- Incheon (ICN) rose to 2nd place, swapping positions with Manila (MNL) .
- Hong Kong (HKG) demonstrated the most dramatic growth, jumping 20 positions to 4th place with nearly triple the LCC connections.
- Dubai (DXB) ranked 5th, with Flydubai operating 28% of its flights.
- Sydney (SYD) and Tokyo Narita (NRT) both nearly doubled their LCC connections.
Sixteen of the top 25 LCC hubs are located in Asia-Pacific, underscoring the region's dominance in budget air travel.
U.S. Domestic Market Adjustments
The U.S. domestic market showed subtle ranking changes among its top airports:
- Chicago O'Hare (ORD) reclaimed sole possession of the top spot from Atlanta (ATL), serving 214 domestic destinations.
- Atlanta (ATL) maintained second position, while Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) held third.
- Denver (DEN) advanced to 4th place, surpassing Charlotte (CLT) .
Decade of Aviation Insights
The tenth anniversary edition includes comparative analysis spanning the past decade, revealing long-term trends in global air connectivity. The report serves as a critical resource for aviation stakeholders analyzing market positioning, operational efficiency, and future growth potential.